Interlacements
Cloth surrounds us from cradle to grave and we usually don’t give it much thought at all. Hand-woven cloth, however, elevates fabric beyond the mundane into the realm of folk art. Interlacements: Threads & Lives tells five diverse stories in which the woven pieces of art took on special significance and led to relationships between people. Stories in which people were touched by cloth, not only physically but emotionally, even spiritually.
So much of our lives touches things that are machine-made. These items are, of course, made to be identical, to be fabricated quickly and efficiently, to be produced as inexpensively as possible, and have no soul. This is dramatically clear when noting the physical and emotional reaction differences between factory-made, and honest to goodness hand-woven cloth. Cloth touches us – physically, emotionally, sometimes spiritually. Think about the major milestones in a person’s life from cradle to grave and how each one is associated with a special cloth; the baptismal gown, the Bar Mitzvah Tallit, the graduation robe, the wedding dress, the burial shroud. Cloth follows us through life, accentuating and celebrating our experiences.
Handwoven cloth is exquisite. Each piece is unique, hand-crafted, steeped with emotional energy. It’s quite natural that this type of cloth builds a connection between the weaver and the person who uses the cloth – even if they do not know each other personally. Factory-made cloth cannot offer us this. The team behind Interlacements decided to make a documentary film to examine and celebrate this aspect of cloth; a connection that can span 200 years, cultures, even the disconnection of modern life. We yearn for connection in modern society. This film focuses on various stories of real people and real weavers, and the way the cloth brought them together.